Interchangeable-key lock.



E. J. PRINDLE. INTEROHANG EABLE KEY LOOK.

APPLIGATION FILED JAN.25. 1908.

Patented Mar. 29, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

E. J. PRINDLE. INTERCHANGEABLE KEY LOCK. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 25, 1908 0 1 9 4R... 9 2 R m au 6 m w a P Z SHEETS-SHEET 2.

EDWIN J. PRINDLE' OF NEW Y9 n. 2., essrcn'on rro nnnnrne-nanniasnvrn earn semester, or narcrnron, craze.

'EN'EEBCHANGEABLE-KEY LOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent. 7

ifate nted Ha r. 2%, i iia len'nlicationfiled January as, recs. Serial No. erases Y To all whom 'itmcy concern:

Be it known that I, EDWINJ. liRINDLE, of

. New YOIk,'IlI1 the county of New York, and .111 the State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Interchangeable-Key Locks, and do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear,

and exact description-thereof, reference be ing had to the accompanying drawings, in

Figure lis an elevation of'the'outside of the door of a safe deposit box having a lock applied thereto that embodies my invention v Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the lock Fig.

' Fig. 11 is a view of a key throwing the stump plates intonormal posi tion; and Fig. 12 isa view'ofthedepos torls- 3 is a section onthe line 33 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 1s a rear view ofj'the front plate of the lock; Fig.5 is a front view of the lock, the

front plate being removed but the parts be ing in normal position; Fig. 6 is a view snmlar to Fig. 5, the master key being shown a View similar to Fig. 7, but showing the master key operatingit's tumbler; Fig. 9 is;

a View similar to Fig. 7, but showing the master. key tumbler releasedfiby a "thumb -1ever just before dropping into normalposh t-ion' and showing thin plates-separating the.

stumps; Fig. 10' is a view of the masterkey; tobei used for k yg The object of my invention has been to -provide a lock, which, while based on the to such ends my invention consists in the interchangeable key lock hereinafter specified.

principle of thelock which is the suhjectof the application of Augustus W' Sibley, Se rial No; 412,631, filed January" 25th, l908, shall containcertain improyements'on the said lock in that. it is adapted to be operated without the use of a screw-driver; that it providesfdr throwing themaster tumbler to normal'positionin case after 'ithas been thrown by its key, it is decidedno't to completethe unlocking of the lock, and that means are-provided to prevent theunlocking ofthe. lock except when the adjustablev stumps are secured inadjusted positionand are therefore safe' from displacement; and

Except in those particularsmentioned, the

lock which I have chosen as one illustration:

the same as'the look upon which it is an improvement. v I

to the said drawings, the look its ferring consists as before of a, box-like casing 10 I that is closed by a cover platell having cylindrical bosses. 12 and 13 in which key cylinders 1 1 and 15 are mounted. T he lock is secured to theba'ckof the door 16, the bosses 12 and 13 projecting through circular holes in the" door, and the door closes an opening in the wall. '17. Within the casing is a bolt consisting of a beveled head 18 and a plate 19, the plate being of the same shape as before and being guided in the casing on pins 20 and 21. A'series of stump plates is mounted upon'the bolt. as before. .There is a series of stum plates 22 for the depositors key, the said plates having stumps .23 andhaving slots (not shown) by which they are slidably mounted' upon' pins Hand 7 '25 carried by the bolt plate.

The stump plates are preferably separated by thin plates 25 immovably mounted on the pins 24 and 25 so that thestump plates will not move each other by friction. In the present lock'no springs bear upon the stump plates tending to throw them to their lower and normal position as in the look upon which the resent-f one .is an improvement. Tm stead however, each stump plate for the depositors key has'a lower arm 26 that is adapted to be engagedby the web 27 of a resetting key 28 when the latter is inserted in the key cylinder 14 and the said web moved downward. The. downward movement of the said web striking the said arms 26 will-cause all of the stump plates (when they are "free to move) to move to their lowest positionsready to be engaged by the dethe stump plates for the depositor s key,

there is a "stump plate 29 for'the master tumblerias in the previous locln'tltre'stump plate 29. not being slotted so that is not,

movehlenp and down upon the pins 2d 1 and 25.

In order to secure the adjustable'stump lates after they have been adjusted the ollowing means are provided: A screw 30 is screwed in thebolt plate 19 andprojectsl 10 through the slots in the adjustable stump plates, the screw passing freely through the "master stump )late 29. A nut'is threaded on the fastene end of the screw 3Q, the nut being in the form of a star wheel 31; T By 110,.-

'positors key for resetting. In addition to 'is screwed up tight.

turning the star wheel it can be screwed up and down on the screw and the adjustable stump plates thus clamped.- The teeth of 14 and being revolved continuously in the proper direction either to screw up or unscrew the nut formed by the star wheel.

In order to insure that the lock shall not be operated when the stumps are not securely clamped, I provide interlocking means between the star wheel and the key cylinder 15, which interlocking means may obviously take many forms. That form which I prefer and which I have chosen for illustration consists of a disk 35, which is either formed in one piece with the star wheel, or, as I prefer,"separately formed and fastened thereto as by riveting, the said disk having an unbroken periphery except at one point where it is provided with a depression. or notch 36. A lever 37 is pivoted.

on the casing as upon a bracket 38 riveted to a wall of the casing, and said lever has at one end a rounded nose 39 which is adapted to bear against the periphery of the disk 35, and at the proper time to be forced into the said notch by a spring 35 The opposite end 40 of the lever is adapted to enter a notch 41 formed in the key cylinder 15. The notch 36 is in such position that the nose 39 can only enter it when the star wheel \Vhen the nose 39 enters the said notch, the end 40 of the lever is withdrawn from the notch 41, thus leaving the cylinder 15 free to be rotated to unlock the lock.

The master tumbler 42 has a slot 43 into 5 45, Figs. 2 and 3. The lever projects outside the casing and can be engaged by the thumb for the purpose of retracting the master tumbler after it has been thrown to operative position, if it is decided not to I unlock the lock. In order to provide room for the star wheel and the disk 35, the casing is made somewhat thicker than in the p1e-, vious lock, and to fill up the space between the cover and the master tumbler, a lug 4G is formed on the cover plate and bears against pllate 47 which stands over the master tumer. In the operation of the illustrated form of my invention, supposing the lock to be already set for one depositors key and that it is desired to set it for another key, the first requirement is to unscrew the star wheel so as to permit the stump plates to be adjusted. For this purpose .the master key 33 is inserted in the key cylinder 14 and is rotated in the proper direction to unscrew the star wheel, each rotation of the master key causes of 'one tooth. By properly proportioning the parts, any desired degree of power can be obtained. At the beginning of the move-- ment, the star wheel being in screwed up position, the notch 36 is beneath the nose 39 of'the lever, and thus the end 40 of the lever is disengaged from the key cylinder 15. The moment, however, the star wheel begins to rotate it carries the notch 36 out from under away from the star wheel and swinging the key cylinder 15 and preventing the use of such key cylinder so long as the star wheel is unscrewed. The pressure having been re moved from the stump plates for the depositors key, the master key is removed from the key cylinder 14 the resetting key 28 is inserted and its web moved downward. The web 27 thus engages the arms 26 on the stump plates and throws all of the stump plates to their lowest positions. The depositors key 29- is now inserted into the key as shown-in Fig; 7 which movement sets the stump plates in positions corresponding with the notches or steps in the web of the depositors key. The depositors key is then key inserted and rotated in the proper direction to screw up the star wheel and thus to clamp the stump plates in adjusted position. As the star wheel arrives at its screwed up position, the notch 36 again comes in line with the nose 39 of the lever, and the lever is thrown by its spring to the position shown in Fig. 5, in which its end 41 is disengaged from the notch in the key cylinder 15. The lock is now ready for use with the new depositors key. If the master key has been inserted and the master tumbler thrown to the position illustrated in Fig. 9 and it should then be decided not to complete the unlocking of the lock, the master tumbler can be restored to normal or unlocked position by means of thethumb lever 44.

f It will be observed that my lock has among others the following advantages:

The adjustable stumps can be fastened or I unfastened' in adjusted position entirely i from the front of the door and without the i use of a screw-driver. The bolt cannot be Z withdrawn unless and until the adjustable stumps have been secured in adjusted posi- & tion. The master tumbler can be restored to E normal or inoperative position without completely unlocking the lock, if it should be desirable, after it has once been set. It is obvious that the web 27 for resetting the stump plates'could be formed on the opj posite end of the master key from the lugs i 32 and 48 on said key, which lugs are respeci tively adapted for use with the star wheel t and with the master tumbler. It is also the nose of the lever, thus throwing the nose end 40 of the lever into the notch 41 in the I removed from the cylinder 14 and the master cylinder 14 and turned to a vertical position,

0 5 the log 32 to move the star wheel the space obvious that various changes can be made in 133 eaaeer the above illustrated construct-ion which will be within the scope of my invention, and I desire not to be limited beyond the requirements of the prior art and the terms of my claims. For instance, instead oi a separate spring for each stump plate, the stump plates might be made so as to press frictionally against the thin plates. Because of the immovable thin plates interposed between the stump plates, it would be impossible for any given stump plate to shift any other one.

Ijclaim:

1. In an interchangeable key lock, the combination of a series of adjustable stumps, a' corresponding series of tumblers, means for sernring the stumps in usted position,

and interlocking means for preventing the I operation of the tumblers when the stumps are unsecured.

2. In an interchangeable key lock, the

combination of a series of adjustable stumps,

a corresponding series of tumblers, a screw adapted to secure said stumps, astar wheel adapted to operate said screw and a key adapted to rotate said star wheel.

3. In an interchangeable key lock, the combination of a series of adjustable stumps, a screw adapted to secure said stumps in adjusted position, a star wheel adapted tooperate said screw, a circular disk connected with said star wheel and having a notch therein, a series of tumblers, a key cylinder for operating said tumblers and for throwing thebolt, said'key cylinder also having a notch formed therein, and a part having a nose adapted to enter the notch in said disk and by the same movement to retract an end from the notch in said key cylinder, and vice versa.

4. In an interchangeable key lock, the

combination of a casing, a bolt, a series of adjustable stump plates mounted on said bolt, a screw on said bolt and passing through slots in said stump plates, a star wheel for o erating said screw, a disk carried by sai star the key adapted to engage said-slot to wheel and having a notch in its periphery, a series or tumblers, a key cylinder cooperating with said tumblers, said key cylinder having a notch formed therein, and a lever having its respective ends adapted to enter the said notches, said parts being so arranged that when the screw is tightened the lever is withdrawn from the notch-in the key cylinder,

screwed the lever enters the notch in the key cylinder.

In an interchangeable key lock, the combination of'a casing, a bolt therein, a series of stump plates slida-bly mounted on said bolt, means for clamping said stump plates to said bolt, said stump plates having substantially parallel op osing edges, one of said edges being adapte to be engaged by to which the lock is to be set, and the other of said edges being adapted to be engaged by a resetting key.

6. In a lock, the combination of tumblers tumbler adapted to be operated by another key, and means for releasing said'last-mentioned tumbler, said means comprising a thumb piece adapted towmove said tumbler in a direction opposed to the direction in which it is thrown by itskey.

7. Ina lock, the combination of a casing, a bolt,- a series of stumps on tumblers adapted to be operated by a depositors key, a master tumbler adapted to beraised by the master key andto be par tially engaged with its stump thereby, said master tumbler having a slot therein, and a lever pivoted in the. casing of the lock and retract the master tumbler.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand.

EDIVIN J. PRINDLE.

Witnesses:

A. NnwooMB, 'M. REINERS.

and when the screw is un-M adapted to be operated by a given key, a

the bolt, a set of 

